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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

First Games Based on the Hit Action-Adventure Television Series Scheduled for Q4 2009

D3Publisher (D3P), a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, together with its parent D3, Inc., today announced a worldwide publishing agreement with Turner CN Enterprises, the global licensing and merchandising arm of Turner Broadcasting EMEA, for videogames based on the new action-adventure series The Secret Saturdays. The first game based on The Secret Saturdays is scheduled to be released across EMEA for console and handheld systems in Q4 2009 .

“The Secret Saturdays franchise provides everything videogame fans look for, from an exciting cast of heroes they can portray, to fantastic creatures with special abilities they can use, to the most dastardly villain for them to defeat,” said Yoji Takenaka, president and chief executive officer, North America and Europe, D3P. “Turner CN Enterprises has proven to be an unparalleled partner for us in turning wonderful television universes into playable experiences for fans, and we are thrilled to be working with them once again to reach the gamer community.”

From secret artifacts to unexplained creatures, the adventure never ends for The Secret Saturdays. This family of cryptozoologists is on a mission to find and protect the weirdest and wildest cryptids before the bad guys get in on the action. They travel from ancient temples to bottomless caves in search of the legendary Kur stone because only The Saturdays can save the world from the evil plans of V.V. Argost! The Secret Saturdays television series will premier in the UK on Cartoon Network in June with roll-out across EMEA throughout 2009.

“We have achieved great success with D3Publisher with the Ben 10 interactive franchise and look forward to partnering with them again on The Secret Saturdays,” said Alan Fenwick, vice president of Turner CN Enterprises. “D3 will be a significant aspect of the licensing programme we’re set to roll out in 2009/2010 for this key Cartoon Network property.”

First-of-its-Kind Promotion to Rock Fans During Month Lead-Up to the Film's Release on May 8, 2009

MTV Games and Harmonix’s Rock Band are joining forces with Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment to celebrate the May 8th theatrical release of the film STAR TREK from director/producer J.J. Abrams. The first-of-its-kind collaboration will fuse together the massive cultural followings of both STAR TREK and the video game phenomenon Rock Band to engage fans with free music, an in-game battle of the bands, and futuristic avatar creation contest.

Beginning today, fans can register for a 15-day sweepstakes that will give away 500 free Rock Band Music Store downloads each day from April 7th through April 21st for the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Store for PlayStation3.

And if that’s not enough – fans will want to fire up Rock Band 2’s online Battle of the Bands mode to participate in the STAR TREK Ultimate Battle. Bands of three to four players can battle the Rock Band galaxy. The band with the highest score will win a STAR TREK hometown movie screening for their band and their friends. Additionally, twenty randomly selected players will win an awesome STAR TREK/Rock Band prize pack equipped with STAR TREK and Rock Band gear. The Battle of the Bands component will begin on April 20th and run through April 27th.

The Rock Band and STAR TREK promotion will culminate when the first-ever avatar creation contest launches on April 27th. Fans will be asked to create a futuristic avatar in-game and export it to RockBand.com for the community and Harmonix team to judge the winner. The Duke of Gravity will ultimately decide which avatar has what it takes to rock with the Enterprise crew. The winner will be chosen on May 11th and win "The Future is Now" prize pack including the top of the line Rock Band game accessories.

A thrilling ride of adventure, mystery and cliff-hanging suspense, perfect for children of all ages!

JoWooD Productions and XPEC Entertainment are pleased to announce the successful PC adventure “The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft” is in development for Nintendo Wii.

Players will face challenging puzzles and exciting dialogues embedded in a thrilling story, which is especially suitable for children! In The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft, the vault at Spencer Mansion is robbed, and the Bayport Police call on the Hardy Boys to help tie-up some loose ends, but they soon find themselves in the middle of a major criminal investigation that takes them on an adventure all over Bayport, and even into New York City. But the pieces don’t add up, and Frank and Joe find themselves embroiled in a drama of sinister proportions.

After their release on the PC, The Hardy Boys were able to obtain official awards including the “Ultimate Games Award 2008”, which focuses on pedagogical valuable games.

Also the BuPP, the “Federal Office for the Positive Assessment of Computer and Console Games”, situated at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth, loves the game and awarded a recommendation to The Hardy Boys. “A recommendation of the BuPP stands for: it is most likely that children will have fun playing the game and parents have no reason to be worried but can furthermore trust that their children will benefit beyond the fun from playing. The Hardy Boys fulfill these criteria!”, states Herbert Rosenstingl, head of the BuPP.

About The Hardy Boys With over 100 million copies of their beloved books in print, America’s original crime scene investigators, Frank and Joe Hardy, are riding a wave of classic retro popularity combined with a whole new attitude. Since 1928, Simon & Schuster and Grosset & Dunlap have published The Hardy Boys classic editions, currently selling over 1 million copies annually. The new contemporary series Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers, featuring the boys as spies for American Teens Against Crime launched in 2005, with an additional Super Mystery published every summer.

Sony's not one to rest on its laurels. Blu-ray has been on the market for a couple of years, and although it's in this stagnant economy it needs to get us all on to the next consumer electronics device.

So, today the Japanese giant has announced exclusively to CNET UK its new format - microBD.

The discs are very similar in structure to Blu-ray discs, but they are the same size as the company's UMD gaming format. Like both Blu-ray and UMD, the microBD discs are multi-layered. The new format also uses the same ISO structure as Blu-ray, which should simplify the mastering process for microBD movies.

microBD discs are read by a 375nm laser, which is slightly shorter in wavelength than the 405nm laser in Blu-ray players. This new laser assembly means that quite substantial amounts of data can be written to a disc that's considerably smaller than a Blu-ray. In fact, although the discs are less than half the physical size of Blu-ray media, they can hold up to 75GB of data on two layers. A theoretically possible, but untested, third layer could take capacity to 100GB.

Armies of Call of Duty fans have heeded the call and responded with more than one million downloads of the Call of Duty - World at War Map Pack 1 from Activision and developer Treyarch, during its first weekend of availability (March 19-22) on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network.

“I’m proud that the team at Treyarch delivered an experience that so many people are enjoying,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head for Treyarch. “We’re excited that the success of Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 will continue to drive the popularity of the game’s Nazi Zombie mode, competitive multiplayer and chart-breaking success online.”

“The success of Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 speaks to Treyarch and Activision’s ability to provide fans with quality content during a time when people want to get the most out of their Call of Duty experience,” said Maria Stipp, Activision’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Owned Properties.

The map pack contains four maps (Nightfire, Station, Knee Deep and Verrückt) and is available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation Store for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system for $9.99. Call of Duty: World at War is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore.

Showcasing FUEL’s wide ranging on and off-road vehicle line up, including its Cars, Bikes, SUVs, Trucks, Quads and ‘Specials’ classes, Codemasters today launched the new ‘Vehicles’ FUEL gameplay video, now available to view and download from www.fuel-game.com.

FUEL’s 70 strong, garage tuned vehicles, each designed to perform differently according to the terrain, are perfect to race and explore the unique and diverse 5,000 square mile gameworld. The full range of vehicle classes is showcased in the video, demonstrating how the broad line-up gives players the freedom and scope to choose how they navigate the challenging environment to take the chequered flag.

Supercharged road bikes tear up the asphalt, dirt bikes and scramblers career off-road and roadsters burn rubber on twisty mountain roads. Meanwhile, customised quad bikes perform stunts at breakneck speeds, buggies and SUVs charge across beautifully rugged terrain and, from the ‘Special’ class of vehicles, a dragster speeds across the iconic Utah salt-plains and a hovercraft breaks free of the constraints of terra firma.

Coming this May, FUEL is the ultimate racing sandbox and the bulging roster of vehicles with their accessible, arcade handling delivers a compelling experience for racing fans everywhere. The 70+ strong career mode races and hundreds of extra challenges offer countless hours of high-octane thrills and route editor, which ships with the game, provides almost limitless opportunities for players to create their own fuel-filled races. The FUEL experience is extended yet further online as up to 16 players are able to go head-to-head or explore the entire map in free roam.

With a full day/night cycle and dynamic weather effects including snowstorms, thunderstorms, blizzards, rainstorms and tornados, FUEL is set to revolutionise open world multi-terrain racing when it launches this May for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games For Windows LIVE

All-New Weapons, Character and Maps to Help Players Strengthen Their Family and Build Their Empire Offline and Online

Electronic Arts and Paramount Digital Entertainment announce that The Godfather II videogame will be releasing premium upgrade packs* to provide players with level-four weapons, an additional crew member equipped with four unique specialties, and two new multiplayer maps that will make their family stronger as they fight to become the most powerful mob syndicate in America.

In addition, these upgrades will help as players take their advanced crew members online and compete to be the Don of Dons on the leaderboards. Players can experience all the premium upgrades for The Godfather II two weeks after launch worldwide on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PLAYSTATION Store on April 23, 2009.

• Jack of All Trades: Download Jimmy Lira – the Jack of All Trades to have this character in your family. Jimmy Lira starts out with the arsonist, engineer, medic, and safecracker specialties and comes equipped with a level 2 machine gun – the MP38.• $4.00 / 320 points

As a Don in the Corleone family, The Godfather II allows players to carve out their own story of deception, betrayal, and conquest in a 1960’s organized crime world. With these new upgrades, players will have more options when building and investing in their family, managing their businesses, and sending their crew into battle – all of which is done through the revolutionary Don’s View. The Don’s View is a 3D representation of the player's criminal empire; it allows them to coordinate their strategy, plan hits on rival made men, attack enemy rackets, and much more. By letting players call the shots, The Godfather II delivers the ultimate organized crime experience.

Developed at the EA Redwood Shores studio, The Godfather II will be coming to the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and PC. Players who pre-order The Godfather II at participating retailers worldwide will receive an exclusive crew member, named Tommy Cipolla, to hire into their family. The Godfather II has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB and 18+ for PEGI.

* Requires INTERNET CONNECTION, The Godfather II for the Xbox 360 or PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox LIVE gold or silver membership OR PLAYSTATION Network account.

Paint on the eye black and lace up the cleats, Electronic Arts announce that Madden NFL 10 will be available in North American retail stores on Friday, August 14. The storied football franchise ushers in a new era with advancements that bring the NFL fan everything they see on Sundays, minus the grass stains.

On-field authenticity and emotion is taken to another level in Madden NFL 10. With more control over the outcome of the play than ever before, players can drag defenders towards the first down marker, fight for a fumble at the bottom of the pile, and avoid the rush by stepping up into the pocket. Utilizing an all-new animation technology, Madden NFL 10 ensures that the Fight For Every Yard doesn’t end until the whistle blows.

“The Tiburon team couldn’t be more excited about Madden NFL 10.” said Phil Frazier, Senior Producer. “With online innovation that will connect Madden fans together like never before, an immersive broadcast presentation that captures the suspense and emotion of the NFL, and the most authentic gameplay to date, Madden NFL 10 will be the pinnacle in the award-winning franchise.”

Madden NFL 10 on the Wii™ introduces a unique, genre-defining art style that will raise the bar for sports games on the console. Completely redesigned and built from the ground up, Madden NFL 10 epitomizes what fun looks like on the Wii and will deliver a social, dynamic experience for the entire living room.

Madden NFL 10 will kick off the season with the Madden NFL 10 Draft Experience hosted exclusively at maddennfl.easports.com on Saturday, April 25th. The innovative website will feature a live, streaming draft analysis show produced right from Madden headquarters in Orlando, Florida. The show will feature several interactive elements, including live call-ins from NFL athletes, on-site correspondents from New York City, and the chance for Madden fans to phone in with comments and questions. As players are drafted, their official Madden NFL 10 ratings will be released and discussed live. The website will also feature dynamic polls, social networking feeds, photos from the NFL Draft, and live blogs from the Madden NFL 10 player ratings team. The Madden NFL Draft Experience is a fully interactive destination for NFL and Madden fans alike.

The countdown to the Madden NFL 10 cover announcement begins today with the launch of maddennfl.easports.com and the There Can Only Be One campaign. Each week, check back to the Madden NFL 10 website as candidates that capture the essence of Fight for Every Yard are introduced. See who is in the running for the most coveted cover in sports video games, leading up to the Madden NFL 10 cover unveil on Friday, April 24th.

The award-winning Madden NFL franchise will be available on the Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo Wii, PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated RP by the ESRB.

Madden NFL 10 is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and NASCAR Kart Racing.

Guitar Hero Metallica to be Playable at SONISPHERE Festivals and Select Metallica Concert Venues In Advance Of Its Release In Europe

Activision announce its sponsorship of this year’s European Sonisphere Festivals, which are headlined by Metallica, and will be taking place in Holland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Finland, before finishing off the season with a two day festival in the UK. At the six festivals and a host of Metallica’s European gigs, fans itching to get a taste of Guitar Hero Metallica will have the opportunity to hone their skills and shred, drum and wail on a demo of the band’s highly-anticipated game before the European release in May 2009.

“Guitar Hero Metallica offers fans a unique opportunity to live out their dreams of stardom playing as one of the greatest bands of all time to a set list of over 45 explosive rock and metal tracks,” says Siân Evans, European marketing manager, RedOctane. “To be able to play as Metallica and experience their intensity and musical skill in a video game and then watch them perform live, will be an awesomely, unique event for any music fan.”

Fans attending Metallica’s European tour dates will have the chance to win exclusive tickets to the Sonisphere Festivals and get their hands on signed Guitar Hero Metallica merchandise. Each tour date will also include Guitar Hero Metallica pre-show events where fans will have the opportunity to rock on specially made Guitar Hero® stages. At some of the concert venues, there will also be a variety of free limited-edition Guitar Hero Metallica prizes up for grabs, as well as after-parties featuring live DJs, on-stage guitar duel challenges for prizes and celebrity face-offs. A lucky handful of skilled players and performers will be able to win the chance to play the game on the Sonisphere Festival main stage in front of tens of thousands of fans and two fans from each country will win the ultimate prize, a chance to meet Metallica.

“Ride the Lightning” with musical icons Metallica and 21 other rockin’ acts in an all new Guitar Hero experience – Guitar Hero Metallica. Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time. Shred on the guitar controller, rip on the drum kit controller and wail on the mic to a set list featuring over 45 explosive hits from Metallica’s illustrious career and a wide variety of other legendary artists personally selected by the band, such as Bob Seger, Alice In Chains, System of A Down, Foo Fighters and Queen. Fans will be able to rock as Metallica while performing in venues reminiscent of the band’s epic album covers, themes from their music and real world locales.

Guitar Hero Metallica is developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. The Wii home video game system from Nintendo and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system versions are developed by Budcat. The game is rated 12+ by the BBFC.

Now, and to be completely candid about this, as a game developer Terminal Reality had something to prove. At that time our most recent titles, Aeon Flux and Spy Hunter, each featured some great elements but neither of them exactly set the world on fire.

We had recently undergone extensive management changes and company reorganization. We firmly decided that we no longer want to be known as a developer that ships decent games on time, but instead one that focuses solely on top-quality entertainment. This had been the central message of our ‘reboot’ publisher tour in LA.

We had just proven our commitment to quality (to ourselves, anyway) by reluctantly turning down the offer of an extremely high-profile project that we felt just didn’t offer enough development time to really perfect the game.

A few months prior to that we had gone out to pitch an (different) original game IP. We had a strong document, a gameplay concept that everyone was dying to play, and even a development partnership with a high-profile, stellar, and very cool movie director who worked a room like no one I have ever seen. But what we didn’t have was a demo, and thus we never got out of the talking stages.

We learned from that experience that we have to put everything onscreen. Given this opportunity, that’s exactly what we did for Ghostbusters.

We rushed back to Texas and told the team, who was as excited by the news as we had been. Everyone jumped into making the proof-of-concept with full exuberance. This was the first official next-gen effort for the newly combined ‘big team’ at Terminal Reality. We had been dying for the chance to really show off what we can do.

The result was a playable proof-of-concept that felt, almost eerily, just like a pivotal scene in the movie: a Ghostbuster fought and captured Slimer while brutalizing a ballroom in the Hotel Sedgewick. Everything in the room, from the three-tiered cake on the buffet table to the nondescript bottles behind the bar (they’re labeled ‘Bottle’) to the heavy crystal chandelier on the ceiling could be broken, shattered, or incinerated in blazing flames.

Getting the look and functionality of the proton/capture stream right was absolutely crucial to gameplay and authenticity, so that was our first order of business. Properly scarring the walls was the second.

Within three weeks we had implemented both of these elements, as well as a fully breakable ballroom, fully animated Slimer, a ghostbuster character with working proton pack, slime and hurt reactions, a functioning ghost trap, and both blasting and rudimentary ghost-trapping gameplay.

This was the demo that we showed to our publisher, then Sony Pictures, and then to Dan Aykroyd. Everyone that saw it said that while the quality was definitely there, it also showed the team’s passion for Ghostbusters and getting it just right. Once Mark Caplan from SPCP selected a publisher, we had proved to all the parties involved that we were the right developers for this game.

Authenticity

There’s really only been one goal for this game from the very beginning: create and present a 100% authentic Ghostbusters gameplay experience. That meant the perfect Ghostbusters game would have mainstream appeal, would be action-packed, and would need to masterfully blend elements of fun and funny and scary, just like the original movie had done.

“Fun, Funny, Scary,” in fact, became our mantra. Anything that didn’t fit those criteria had to go.

We knew from the outset that lot of people would automatically assume this game was nothing but another licensed cash-in gimmick. This happens a lot, and that’s mostly a result of the fact that good movies are usually made much faster than good games can be, and tie-ins pretty much have to be released within two weeks of each other.

A tie-in rip-off is the exact opposite of anyone’s intent for Ghostbusters. We seized on the idea to embrace the property’s icons, and present them in new, fresh perspectives, as a way to convince the player that we’re on the up and up.

It’s funny, considering that almost every really enduring element from the property comes from just one movie. Ghostbusters is seriously hip-deep in icons. You’ve got the proton pack, Slimer, the Hotel Sedgewick, the PKE meter, the paragoggles, the Ecto-1, the Firehouse Headquarters, The Public Library, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Janine, that incredible logo, and the city of New York itself, which is as important a character in the Ghostbusters universe as any of the others.

For most people, the only really strong memories from the second movie tend to be mood slime, the walking statue of Liberty, and Vigo the Carpathian (we’ve got two out of three in the game).

We hit the ground running. We watched and re-watched and dissected the movies, and endlessly speculated and debated the gameplay-relevant functionality of proton streams and ghost traps and how the PKE meter works and exactly how fast four not-especially-athletic middle-aged men wearing very heavy proton packs should be able to move.

Should the player take the role of one, or any, of the Ghostbusters? We decided early on that tampering with the near-perfect dynamics already established between the Ghostbusters was flirting with disaster, so decided to introduce a cipher player character: a rookie that could both play alongside and be a Ghostbuster while still getting to sit back and enjoy the interplay between the original cast—like playing a movie and watching it at the same time. A few of us (including myself) originally wanted him to talk, but when it came time to manage the dialog for all the characters, we were very relieved there wasn’t an additional voice in the mix!

We knew the story had to be set in New York City. Trying to go anywhere else would have been coloring too far outside the lines for Ghostbusters, especially for our first time out.We wanted the game to synch with and progress Ghostbusters canon, so we placed it just a few years after the events of the second film.

We all agreed that the sad-sack beginning of GB2, in which the city had abandoned the Ghostbusters, was too much of a downer, and you couldn’t retread that same patch anyway. So when we open the city loves the Ghosbusters, who have become New York’s official, contracted Paranormal Investigations and Eliminations experts (we ended up going heavier on the ‘Elimination’ than the ‘Investigation’, as a result of focus-testing). The new Mayor was even elected as a result of the Ghostbusters’ endorsement.

One really cool thing we’ve heard is that the overwhelming public interest in the game played a pivotal role in prompting the studio and talent to move forward on a Ghostbusters 3 movie! We’ve also heard rumors (completely unfounded allegations, and it’s irresponsible to repeat them here) that some elements from the game, and even some of the ideas we weren’t able to use, may be showing up in Ghostbusters 3, if it comes to pass. It’s hard to imagine anything much more gratifying than that. And if it doesn’t happen, we still have played a part, however small, in helping get the movie made.

Based on the exciting new movie Coraline the first-ever stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3-D from Focus Features and LAIKA, the Coraline videogame is coming from D3Publisher (D3P). The game will let players take on the role of the adventurous heroine Coraline and interact with the wondrous characters from the movie while navigating the scheming Other Mothers web of deceit in a fantastical adventure through two distinct and interactive worlds.

Coraline is due for release on the Nintendo Wii console, Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system in May 2009.

The Coraline movie is absolutely mesmerizing and we feel that the visual style and tone of the game will bring the amazing stop-motion animated film and thrilling storyline to life for players, said Bill Anker, vice president of business development, D3P. Were confident that Coraline will offer a truly immersive and interactive gameplay experience that gamers as well as fans of the movie and best-selling book will enjoy.

The only videogame based on the upcoming movie, Coraline will allow players to explore and interact with such immersive 3-D environments from the movie as the Pink Palace, its nooks and crannies and apartments, and the unpredictable Other World. Players will engage in unique mini-games and adventures with Coralines friends Wybie and Cat as they collect items that will unlock the mysteries of the Other World.

Coraline is under development for Wii and the PlayStation 2 system by Papaya Studios and by Art Co. Ltd., for Nintendo DS.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 14 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Nintendo Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten. This week’s new music lineup also includes new wave band Devo, punk band Fall Out Boy and, the rap infused metal-edged stylings of Faith No More.

Ten, the 1991 album that introduced the world to Pearl Jam, will be released in its entirety for download in the Wii Rock Band Music Store this week including popular hit “Jeremy” and hidden track “Master/Slave”. With the song “Alive” from Ten already featured on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack, the Rock Band Music Store will feature the other eleven tracks from the album. The Pearl Jam tracks were released to owners of Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system last week.

This week’s content update to the Wii Rock Band Music Store also includes music from new wave group Devo with the track “Through Being Cool” from the 2008 album Devo Rock Band Re-Records. In addition, Rock Band will also deliver more from Faith No More with “We Care A Lot” featured on Introduce Yourself (1987) and Fall Out Boy’s “I Don’t Care” from the band’s 2008 album Folie á Deux.

All tracks come from the back catalogue of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 600 songs is available.

Release Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Despite its late start in Korean Online FPS market in 2005, 'Sudden attack' leaped over 'Special Force' with its quick and speedy characteristic and community system. Now, Sudden attack is favored by the largest number of users in FPS market. Moving on with the success in Korea, Sudden attack took 1st place in Japanese online FPS market share after servicing a year in Japan, and keeps on putting effort to advance into global market, such as China, Taiwan and Brazil.

- Cooperating quest system that combines high and low level users together

Title: Project LGenre: 2D Side Scroll MMORPGEngine: Originally developed (tentative name: Spring Engine)Developer: GAMEHIPublisher: Not determinedService schedule: Close-beta test in the first half of 2009

IGN are reporting the next GTA game will take place in Australia and feature destruction technology built into he game.

Massive news hit IGN Australia this morning with the leak of what appears to be the design documentation for the next Grand Theft Auto installment. According to photos provided by a reliable source, these images show 'Grand Theft Auto: Harbour City' – set in a fictionalised Sydney, Australia in the 1970s. What's more, the developer appears to be 'Rockstar Bondi' – formerly Team Bondi, makers of the mysterious and oft-delayed L.A. Noir. Read the full post here on IGN...

Dekaron, Extreme Action Online game, is a middle-age fantasy atmospheric MMORPG developed by GameHigh Inc. The game takes its place in Trieste, and fascinating visual graphics and 7 characters were designed to let users feel the striking sensation and speedy action in online game, which forms an attractive fantasy world.

With its surpassing worldview and scenario, Dekaron has been published as novel and comics, which are also popular. Dekaron was awarded as the game of the month in June of 2005, and is currently running official service in Japan, China, Taiwan, North America, Europe and Southeastern Asia.

1. Embodiment of realistic and delicate battle systemUnlike other MMORPGs’ dull battle system, Dekaron provides realistic battles to users by designing motions based on physics laws. With this unique feature, users will be able to see that the monsters and enemies will either fly off or fall down, based on their attack’s strength. Also, users can launch a series of attack as they push away their opponent, which will make the battle even more realistic.

2. Simple InterfaceThe game has a simple and straight user-interface, which prevents users from being confused.

3. Increase of Artificial intelligenceThe game’s reality is increased by the elevation of monsters and NPCs’ artificial intelligence.

4. Delicate and fascinating graphicDekaron’s original 3D engine, “Charon”, embodies a realistic and splendid graphic that is unique from other online games.

5. Unique skill systemDekaron embodies combination and various effects by its unique system that is represented by evolution and growth.

6. Provision of organized community systemBased on party, guild and quests, Dekaron supports the formation of various relationships between users through a structured community system.

7. Embodiment of massive-sized warfare and siege war systemThe massive sized warfare and guild wars are embodied to let users feel the original action quality of Dekaron.

In the continent, there existed 5 kingdoms. Placed in the swamp of warfare, these kingdoms struggled and split up continuously. As people were suffering from countless wars, the demon lord invaded. Corrupted demons came to the humans' world through warp gate, and soldiers of the kingdoms tried to resist.

With their repetitive loss, the alliance force retreated and prepared for a final war in the desert fortress, Queren. The soldiers fought bravely, but they became more tired as the battle lasted for days. On the seventh day, the fortress was almost defeated by the demons; only despair was there.

Then, a knight appeared from horizon. The knight rampaged through the waves of demons, and slashed them with a sharp sword. The fortress was once again filled with hope. Surprisingly, the knight was a woman, named Hertia. She lost her beloved children, and met a person. The man, covered in a black robe, saved her and taught a way to control mystic power named Arke. She called him Nameless. The alliance force reestablished army and defiance the demons. Hertia was respected by everyone as a hero who saved the fortress from despair. The fortress was in peril few more times, but the people who were taught by the Nameless, like Hertia, appeared and protected it from falling down. Mercenary Kaballa, Hunter Thelos, and Mage Feira were the heroes. They searched for people with talent, and gladly taught their knowledge to them. With their teachings, the alliance force was able to control the power of Arke, and have abilities to oppose the demons.

Then a new hero appeared. 'Ezraim', a young monk who claimed himself as a messenger of God, proclaimed Hiram, a city located in the midst of continent and filled with demons, as a sacred city and annihilated every single demons in the city. This happening, which was later named the miracle of Hiram, spread into the entire continent, and Ezraim was nominated as the first Sacred Emperor.

On the 40th year after the invasion of the demon lord, the Arke Knights with four heroes and Holy Knights with Ezraim the Holy Emperor went on their way to defeat the demon lord. After countless sacrifices and the death of four heroes, Ezraim sealed the demon lord. The Holy Emperor changed the name of Arke Knights into Neviroth Knights, and reorganized them as Emperor Escorts.

Before secluding, Ezraim left prophesies about the resurrection of the demon lord and salvation of human race, and the name "Neviroth", an eye that observes dimensions, was in the middle of the prophecy.

For next 500 years, the religion of Ezraim prevailed greatly, and conflicts between the church and kings became worse. The demon lord, Amonsatuth, broke the seal with assistance from a betrayer. Amonsatuth opened the gate of hell and summoned demons. The entire continent, just like the ancient time, was defeated in less than a half day. Few knights succeeded in evading to Elwood, and unsealed the prophecy of Ezraim. The survivors verified the prophecy, and realized that their task is to grow the force of Neviroth and find a new hero who will defeat the demons. Onto a long journey they went, to find a new hero.

Special Features

* MMORPG Side-scrolling Action MMORPG

Karcass online is a side-scrolling action MMORPG that includes the interesting elements of RPG, such as the combination of action, growth of character and skill, item collection and upgrades. Karcass online supports map environment expressed in 2D, and characters in 3D. It shows a very dynamic and unique game play, and is planning to present tough action plays to the users.

* World-Making System

Karcass online supports a 'World Making System', which enables users to create dungeons inside designated maps that fit their play styles. World Making System induces an active creation of communities between users and various play contents that the producers could not provide, and help users to experience a free-style play. Through this system, users can share their creation with other players and play together.

* Various combos and skill systems

Inclining towards a powerful action game, Karcass online presents unique skill systems that vary for each character. The attack system of Karcass online supports various combos by combining normal attacks and skills, and chain combos can be used to execute a much stronger attack. When user enters combat situations, every moves that are done increase the power gage in User Interface window. Characters can convert into 'Burst mode' once this gauge reaches maximum, and special skill can be launched to feel catharsis. Moreover, Karcass online has 'party combo system', which enables party members to attack single or multiple enemies together.

* Guild System

Every community activities in Karcass online are done through 'Guilds'. Guilds can design towns, and get priority when participating in various economical and social activities. Also, guilds can have special skills, items and quests of their own, which will be another form of interest in the game.

* Housing System

Users of Karcass online will have their own space, which can be decorated with their own taste. Users can use various items to do so, and experience various optional effects such as status recovery and increase of experience points.

Gears of War 2 fans around the world can engage in even more intense action in treacherous winter settings offered by the latest “Gears of War 2” Add-on, the Snowblind Map Pack. Trudge, crawl and roadie run through the harshest of weather conditions as you and your squadmates dive into four new multiplayer maps.

Spanning tunnels, bridges, courtyards and offices, players can sharpen their skills on the four new maps in the Snowblind Add-on: Grindyard, Under Hill, Courtyard and Fuel Depot. All maps are playable on every “Gears of War 2” multiplayer mode, including the highly popular Horde mode:

• Grindyard is a massive industrial complex located in a junk-processing plant from the days of Sera’s industrial excess. The office, now gutted, serves as a perfect place to fortify, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up trapped inside the office with no hope of escape.• Under Hill takes players through snowbound tunnels that were once billed as a feat of Seran engineering. Head for high ground on the bridge and you’ll be rewarded with massive firepower, but be prepared to defend your position and try to escape being cornered.• Courtyard is a wide-open battle royale containing explosive weapons that once formed the heart of Ephyra’s fashionable Civic Center. Lines of sight are far and clear here, and battles tend to focus around the elevated sniper nest. Watch your back and keep a fresh clip.• Fuel Depot, back by popular demand, Fuel Depot is a “Gears of War 2” remake of the fan-favorite “Gears of War” map, but winter has set in and the depot is now covered in a blanket of snow. Open and unforgiving, it takes a well-coordinated team to cover all the angles here.

Also added to “Gears of War 2” are nine new Achievements worth 250 points:

The “Gears of War 2” Snowblind Map Pack Add-on is available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace starting today for 800 MS Points. “Gears of War 2” is available exclusively on Xbox 360 and is rated “18” by the BBFC.

Compare your basketball skill with users from all over the world in GameKiss.com

'Freestyle: street Basketball' is the first P2P-type PC online basketball game in the world. This game emphasizes on 'Freedom' and 'Youth'. Most of the previous basketball games were taking actual NBA players or basketball court for their background theme.

However, 'Freestyle: street Basketball', as its name suggests, takes Street as its major concept. Players play matches that are cheerful rather than serious, in friendly places such as backstreet and park. BGM and voice effects are also recorded based on jaunty Hip-Hoop code. Also, the game concentrates on its major concept even more by providing 3D-characters and the backgrounds as cartoon rendering.

Its casual atmosphere does not mean its depth is shallow. 'Freestyle: street Basketball ¢ç' already started service, or has been exported, to 8 countries in the world, and has tens of millions of accumulated users. In the starting stage, users can choose to play tutorials and various learning programs, but they soon get to play with other users as their basketball player and skill grows.

One of the appealing features that 'Freestyle: street Basketball' has is that 3:3, 6 users in total choose their own characters, which enables delicate strategies as the actual team play can. Of course, users can selectively choose to play with AI characters, while considering their play style and environment.

Especially, this global service version allows various users from all over the world to compete, which will stimulate users' desire of winning. Those who want to play can sign up in www.gamekiss.com and enjoy the game for free. For the first-time users, Gamekiss is providing beginners' guide that is available in various languages such as English, German, and Turkish.

To celebrate the global service open of 'Freestyle: street Basketball', Gamekiss currently runs events in the game. When users apply the events by participating in team play and surveys, users can receive cyber points that they can use to buy costumes and items inside the game.